Someone To Love Me
by Roselilia
Summary: After saving a boys life twice Severus finds himself being the caretaker of an abused teenager. AdoptiveSnape DMHP AU
1. Runaway

'_Have to get away, have to get away, have to get away_.' The words became a mantra in Harry's head as he ran through the alleys with no real destination in mind. He didn't even really know where he was and he was taking random turns to the point that even if he wanted to go back he wouldn't be able to. He didn't dare run down the main roads just on the off chance that** they** were looking for him.

He clutched his arm as tightly as he could but despite his efforts blood ran down it in small rivers and fell onto the snow underneath him. His whole body hurt but that was beginning to go away as his body started going numb since all he wore was a worn out shirt with holes in it, some from old age and some intentionally made, and shorts that were so big on him that he had to use a worn out string to keep them from falling.

His feet were bleeding from stepping on broken ice leaving a trail of bloody footprints behind him but he barely noticed. His vision was beginning to blur and it was slowly becoming harder and harder to keep walking. Harry let out a loud gasp as he tripped and fell. The snow cushioned his fall fortunately and he took a couple of minutes to try to collect his bearings.

'_Have to get away.' _ Harry struggled to stand up but his limbs were too weak to keep his body standing any longer and he fell back into the snow that was beginning to feel oddly comfortable.

'_Have to get away.' _Not being able to stand up and walk he tried to crawl using his arms and legs to slowly drag himself inch by inch but the deep snow wouldn't allow him to get very far and soon he was too tired to move anything. Panting, Harry laid his head down.

'_Have…to…' _Darkness overcame him.

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It was supposed to be a simple task. Go out, get the ingredients and then come back home. It was an easy enough task and ordinarily it would have only taken half an hour or so. What Severus hadn't taken into account was how stupid and lazy people were.

The trip to the store itself nearly took 20 minutes because of all the snow that had come in overnight and no one had bothered to shovel the sidewalk yet. Severus himself had already shoveled out his sidewalk first thing in the morning. When he finally reached the herb store the store owner, an old man that Severus swore was becoming deaf and senile, couldn't get his order right. Seriously, how does someone get mint leaves mixed up with fenugreek leaves? After 10 minutes of arguing with the old man Severus left the store in a foul mood and a paper bag in his hands with the leaves.

Instead of taking the main road back to his home he decided to go through the alleys. Less people there and less interaction with stupidity the better.

He walked as quickly as he could through the snow and was about to take a turn that would lead him to his home when something that looked like red liquid in the snow. It reminded him briefly of a cherry snow cone he used to have every Thursday with –

Severus shook his head violently and instead focused his attention back on liquid. With a closer inspection he realized it was blood. Footprints accompanied the trail of blood and that had traces of blood as well. Someone had walked down the alley and was badly hurt.

Severus had a choice. He could either continue on his way home and remain curious for a few days or he could find the source of the blood, satiate his curiosity and go back home.

'_Come on Sev, where's your sense of adventure?' _A familiar voice whispered in his head and Severus immediately shook his head and the voice disappeared. Against his thoughts and intuition that this was going to cause trouble, Severus began to follow the bloody footprints. It was already a bad day, how much worse can it get?

The trail led him to a person lying face down in the snow. Severus cautiously knelt down and carefully turned the body over onto its back. He sighed in relief when he was able to find a weak pulse and he studied the boy. His face was unnaturally pale, lips turning a bit blue although none of that was surprising since he was wearing what looked like clothes meant for the summer. A careful inspection showed the source of the blood was from a rather large wound on the boys arm. It was abundantly clear to Severus that if the boy was to remain out any longer, he would die.

Briefly, Severus considered calling an ambulance but quickly dismissed the idea. They were incompetent people who couldn't even save –

Severus shut his eyes tightly and willed the thought away before he opened then again. He couldn't just leave the boy to die. Despite popular belief, he wasn't heartless. This really, left only one choice.

Sighing with frustration, Severus picked the boy up and was surprised about how light he was. The boy wasn't big but still he shouldn't have been this light. The boy shifted in his arms, instinctively trying to move closer to Severus, and mumbled something that sounded like "have to get away" but the words were too soft for Severus to be sure. As Severus made his way home he began thinking of reasons that the boy was in this predicament in the first place.

Perhaps the boy was a runaway although it wouldn't explain his clothing. Surely if he meant to runaway he would bring warm clothes at least. The boy could be a punk who got drunk or high and then got into a fight with someone. More theories ran through his mind but he couldn't confirm any of them until the boy woke up.

Severus finally reached his home and with great difficulty managed to open the door and kick it closed behind him. He carried the boy to the guest room and gently placed him onto the bed. After grabbing the first aid kit he studied the boy critically. He had taken a few nursing courses and used to volunteer at a nearby hospital so while he wasn't good enough to be a doctor he could certainly patch up non-life threatening wounds.

He gently and carefully rolled up the boys sleeve to reveal the wound and hissed when he saw shards of glass embedded in it. Taking a pair of tweezers, he carefully picked the glass out, being sure t to aggravate the wound too much. When he was sure all the glass was removed, he cleaned and stitched the wound with the expertise of a doctor. When he was done, he took the time to study the boy some more to try to learn who exactly he had let into his house.

The boy had messy black hair that made the already pale skin look even paler. Seeing something covered by black bangs Severus moved the hair and saw a lightening shaped scar right in the middle of the boy's forehead. It was actually quite interesting to look at. He would have studied it longer but he had to get moving since the boy was still dangerous cold.

He quickly grabbed his godson's clothes from another room knowing they wouldn't be missed immediately. His godson only stayed with him during the time he went to school and school wouldn't be starting for another week. Returning to the boy, Severus peeled off the worn out shirt and hissed viciously at what he saw.

Scars, old and new, littered the boy's body. Some of them were bad enough to permanently scar and the others looked like they might fade with time. Most of the recent looking wounds were already healing and Severus put homemade ointment on them to induce faster healing. As he patched up the wounds as best as he could he noticed how skinny the boy was and how prominent the ribs were sticking out.

Shaking his head, Severus put the shirt on the boy and removed the wet pants and boxers. He had to close his eyes briefly to what he found. The boy's upper thighs, the part that was covered by his boxers, had long straight cuts that were in rows unlike the ones on the boy's upper chest that had no order to them. Severus had no doubt that they were self-mutilation. Counting them, Severus saw there were 8 scared on the left thigh and 7 scars on the right one. All of them looked old.

Sighing to himself and wondering what he got himself into, he put his godson's pants onto the boy and patched up the feet that were cut. The most he could do for them was bandage them up and make sure the boy wouldn't move a lot when he woke up. After making sure that the boy was all patched up, Severus wrapped the body up with thick warm blankets.

After some rest the boy would be alright, physically at least. Severus wasn't sure what he would do with the boy after he woke up. It was obvious that he wasn't well taken care of where ever he had come from and Severus knew he couldn't send the boy back there. Well, he could wait for the boy to wake up and then decide his next course of action from there. With a decisive nod, Severus went to the kitchen with the intention of making tea or maybe even some soup for his new guest.

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Here's the first chapter let me know what you think and if I should continue to post :o


	2. Behind the Door

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Harry carefully opened his eyes knowing something was wrong before even looking at his surroundings. He was lying on something soft as opposed to his own mattress that was old and had springs in it that poked him painfully. Also he had warm blankets around him and the one he had was old and worn out.

The next thing that told him something was wrong was the clothes he was wearing. They were warm and he couldn't feel any holes in them. Also while they were big on him they weren't as big as the hand me downs he was accustomed too.

Looking around, Harry visually confirmed that he didn't know where he was and he was in someone else's bedroom.

'_He's going to kill me.' _Was Harry's first thought and he tried to prop himself up to get a better look around but a sharp pain in his arm made him stop. Gripping his wound, Harry remembered everything that had happened before he had passed out. '_Oh, he already tried.'_

What was he going to do now? He had absolutely no where to go. Who would look after someone as useless as himself? He would just burden anyone who took him in. But he was too stupid to take care of himself. Where would he go? He had nowhere.

His chest began to tighten and breathing was becoming hard to do like his lungs were shrinking. He started to get light headed and he dimly became aware that someone was talking into his ear. The voice was sharp but meant to be soothing and Harry began to focus on what the voice was saying.

"Calm down, everything is going to be ok. Breathe in breathe out. Come on you can do it. In, out, in, out. There you go keep it up." The voice said and soon Harry was able to breathe normally again. It wasn't the first time this had happened to him but it was the first time that someone had treated him like this when it did. Usually he would pass out and then wake up later.

Harry looked at the source of the voice and saw a man kneeling beside him. He had jet black hair, sharp strict black eyes that had a trace of concern in them and he had a rather long nose all of which reminded Harry of a powerful hawk.

"What's your name?" The man asked softly like he was afraid that if he was too loud he would scare him. Harry contemplated answering. Whenever he talked around **them** he would get into lots of trouble and he didn't want to upset the man. But he had asked him a question and it would be rude not to answer.

"Harry." He finally answered in a voice so quiet the man had to lean forward to hear him.

"Hello Harry, my name is Severus Snape. I found you in the alleyway passed out from the cold and from blood loss. Do you remember what happened to you?" Harry nodded hesitantly and hoped that the man wouldn't ask him what had happened. He wasn't allowed to tell. If he told on **them** then he would get an even worse punishment. He was supposed to keep his mouth shut like a good little boy.

The man, Severus, seemed to sense that he wouldn't tell because he didn't ask any more than that. Instead he placed something in front of Harry that looked like a bowl of soup. Resisting the urge to dig in because he was so hungry Harry waited. If he ate anything without permission even if it was placed in front of him, he would be punished.

"Go on, eat." The man urged and Harry began to drink the soup hungrily. It was clear and didn't have any vegetables or meat in it but it was anything but bland. He could tell that it had been flavored with herbs but couldn't tell what kinds. It didn't take long for him to finish. Licking his lips, Harry tried to get out of bed but the man wouldn't let him.

"Where are you going? Your feet are injured from walking in the snow barefooted and you should stay off them as much as you can."

"But I got to wash the dish." Harry answered in confusion as he held the bowl up. The man shook his head and took the bowl from Harry.

"You are the guest. You don't need to wash the dishes all you need to do is rest." Severus answered and Harry frowned. He never heard of that rule before but then again he had never gone to another person's house before. Then again, who was he to doubt what the man said.

"Okay sir." Harry responded softly beginning to feel drowsy. He suspected it had to do with some of the herbs in the soup. He had learned before that some herbs were meant to induce drowsiness and relaxation.

"Get some more rest we'll talk more when you wake up." Severus ordered and Harry couldn't do anything but listen. In mere minutes he was back to sleep.

A few hours later Harry was awake again. Severus was already in the room sitting in a chair with a book about herbs in his hand. Harry studied the man quietly. He didn't look like **them **in the least and he could tell that the man was a kind one even if he seemed somewhat strict.

"Hello, how are you feeling?" Severus asked when he saw that Harry was awake again.

"I'm feeling fine, thank you sir." Harry responded softly and politely.

"I have some questions for you if you don't mind answering them now." Harry cringed slightly but nodded in resignation.

"How old are you?"

"15." Harry's reply made the man's eyebrows rise drastically. The boy was small and Severus has assumed he was about 10 maybe but certainly not 15.

"What happened to you?" Severus finally asked the question that had been plaguing him. He saw the boy flinch but made no move to retract the question.

"I ran away from home." Harry finally answered after a few minutes of debating how to tell the man who had saved his life but at the same time not tell on his family.

"Why? I found wounds on your body when I was changing you into warmer clothes. Did the people you lived with do that to you?" Harry flinched and began to shake his head frantically, his emerald eyes pleading.

"No sir, they treat me very well. I get into fights is all." Harry quickly said but it sounded oddly rehearsed in Severus' ears.

"Where do you live?"

"Number 4 Privet drive." Harry answered reluctantly. Severus nodded, already familiar with the street. He knew an old lady that lived there, Mrs. Figgs, who grew her own herbs and occasionally would give him some.

"I'll have to bring you back home." Severus said and Harry nodded, having already expected it. It was truly better this way. The longer he was away the worse his punishment would be. "If you are ready we should go now."

"Alright sir." Harry agreed as he got out of the bed without even a wince when his injured feet hit the floor. They left the house in silence and they got into Severus's car which he only used to go to school where he taught. As he drove to the street he glanced at the boy looking for any hint of fear or trepidation of having to go back home but the boy's face remained devoid of any emotion.

He intuitively knew that the boy was lying but until he was told the truth there was very little he could do. If he kept the boy it would be kidnapping and the last thing he needed was to be charged with kidnapping.

Harry looked out the window when they turned into his street and terror began to build in his stomach but he didn't allow it to show on his face. As they approached the house the terror began to build, escalating as he got out of the car and began to walk towards the innocent looking white door. He watched as the man knocked on the door and a couple of minutes later the door, the only thing separating him from them, opened.

It was Uncle Vernon who answered the door which was a bit odd since it was usually Aunt Petunia who answered while his Uncle sat on the couch, beer in hand, and watched sports. His Uncle's beady eyes scanned Severus before it went to him and Harry could see pure anger building in those eyes.

"I see you brought him back," Uncle Vernon said, taking care to keep any trace of anger out of his voice. "I must thank you I was getting worried."

"Why were you not looking for him then? I found him injured and on the verge of dying earlier this morning." Severus asked sharply in an accusatory tone and Harry shivered beside him. The man was just making it worse for him.

"Well the boy often runs off by himself during the day and sometimes nights, getting into fights and whatnot. It's hard to know when he is in trouble." Vernon said as he pulled Harry into the house with disguised gentleness.

"Well try to keep a better eye on him." Severus said, not trusting the man at all.

"Yes of course. Thank you again." Vernon said as he began to close the door. Just before it shut, Harry's eyes met the man's and he couldn't keep the pleading from entering his eyes. Please, save him. Don't leave him alone with this man. Please.

The door shut closed.

Uncle Vernon rounded on Harry and any hope of surviving the night was gone. His Uncle was big, easily three times bigger than Harry probably more and there was anger and hate swirling in those eyes. Before Harry could run, big fat fingers wrapped around Harry's neck and the little boy was lifted in the air. Harry struggled, feeling his lungs being cut off and unable to breathe. His fingers dug into oily skin but the hand wouldn't let him go.

He struggled to breathe, just a breath or two would do but the grip around his neck wouldn't allow him to. Black spots peppered his vision and he realized, not with fear but resignation, that he was going to die and the last thing he would see was his Uncle's face. The spots were getting bigger and Harry felt himself getting weaker.

"**Let. Him. Go**." A voice so cold and downright scary cut through his mind. Suddenly the hand around his neck disappeared and Harry collapsed on the cold tiled floor, gasping for breath. He was too light headed and out of it to know what was going on but he was dimly aware that his Uncle and the voice so cold that it could freeze over fire were arguing. Suddenly he wasn't on the floor anymore but he was lifted high making him temporarily dizzy. Someone was carrying him his mind told him and looking around he saw that it was true. He was positioned so he couldn't see the person's face so he looked over a broad shoulder and saw the white door going farther and farther away.

Everything else started to become a blur. He couldn't figure out was happening so he just focused on breathing. In, out, in, out, in, out. He could breathe again. He was still alive. In, out, in, out. Someone had saved him. In, out. He was safe now.

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Hope you guys like this chapter. I'm not sure when I will be able to post the next one since I'm in college and I have a midterm coming up .


	3. Mine to Keep

Thank you for the reviews :3

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Severus had intended on leaving the boy with his parents. He was about to turn away and go back to his car and continue on his life but just as the door was closing he caught the boys eyes. The emerald green eyes were filled with pleading and fear that no child should have. The door closed shut but Severus remained frozen on it looking where those green eyes had been looking into his own.

'You can't leave him there Sev.' The voice whispered through his mind and this time he didn't allow himself to shake it away because it was right. He couldn't. Not caring how rude it was, he opened the door which was fortunately not locked and the sight that greeted him made his blood freeze.

The large fat man was holding Harry in the air by his neck. The boy was struggling for air, on the verge of passing out, but the man obviously didn't care or it was his intention. Anger that Severus hadn't felt since the night HE died flooded into him and he used that anger to give him strength.

"Let. Him. Go." He snarled and he gripped the offending appendage tightly, choosing to press into the spots he knew would cause the man pain. The man immediately let the boy go and rounded on Severus in anger.

"How dare you come into my house? Get out!" The repulsive man shouted and Severus stared right into those eyes.

"How dare you treat a child like this?" He hissed dangerously and revelled in the fear entering the man's eyes.

"You don't know him! You don't know what he's done!" The man said defensively. "He isn't good for anything! If you lived with him you would know what I mean!"

"Perhaps I should take him to live with me then!" Severus roared as he glanced at Harry who looked dazed and didn't seem to even notice what was being said.

"Take him for all I care! Good riddance!" The man shouted and Severus looked at him triumphantly.

"I shall then." Without hesitation he scooped the boy into his arms and made his way out of the house. The boy didn't struggle or even move.

"You'll be sorry. Soon you'll bring him back because he's too much for you to handle!" The man screamed before he slammed the door closed behind them. Severus clutched the boy tightly to him, sorry that the boy had to go through something like that for 15 years.

It wasn't until he had brought the boy back to his own house and tucked him into bed did the realization of what he did hit him. He had just agreed to take care of the boy. He had just agreed to take in a 15 year old and take care of him.

Severus sighed and rubbed his eyes. He couldn't and wouldn't take it back and bring the boy back to that man. That much was for sure. And he doubted the boy had any other relatives or he would be staying with them instead since the man obviously didn't like the boy and probably would have kicked Harry to them. Severus didn't know anyone who would be willing to take care of Harry either and even if he did he didn't know if he would be able to simply throw the boy at them and be done with it.

It could be worse. The boy did seem rather polite if not overly so. He saw intelligence in the green eyes that were currently shut and sleeping. He didn't seem like he would be trouble. Sure there would be residue psychological trauma but maybe he would be able to help Harry since he had an abusive childhood himself. He knew what it felt like and how to deal with it so who better to help Harry but someone who understood what he had gone through?

Severus nodded to himself as he ruffled Harry's unruly black hair. No, perhaps this wouldn't be too bad.

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Harry opened his eyes and was surprised to find himself back in the room he had awoken in after he had fainted. The last thing he remembered was his Uncle strangling him but after that everything was just one huge blur. What did it mean? Why was he back here? Perhaps everything had been a nightmare and he hadn't returned home yet?

"Good morning Harry. How are you feeling?" Harry looked up to see Severus enter the room. He opened his mouth to reply but his throat was too sore to allow him to speak. Frowning Harry touched his throat and found it swollen and painful to touch. Perhaps it hadn't been a dream then. Severus shook his head and handed him a cup of tea. "Drink it slowly. It should make your throat feel better."

Harry nodded and obeyed, sipping the tea slowly. It tasted strongly of lemon and honey and it soothed his throat greatly but he didn't try to speak. When he was finished drinking, Severus took the cup from him before he attempted to get out of bed to clean it.

"Harry, how much of yesterday do you remember?" Severus asked slowly and cautiously not wanting to bring up bad memories but he had to tell Harry of the current situation. Harry, not trusting his voice yet, wrapped a hand lightly around his neck like Vernon had.

"Is that all you remember?" Severus asked and Harry nodded. "Alright, well I stopped him from strangling you any further. After much screaming from him he has agreed to let me look after you. I need to know what you think of that arrangement because I know I am still a stranger to you."

Harry froze as he digested the new information. He did vaguely remember shouting and someone carrying him away from the house and knew it had to be Severus. He understood that Vernon had meant to kill him and if he returned Vernon would probably attempt it again. But it was another thing entirely to actually go and live somewhere else never mind with a stranger.

Not that he had any real complaints about it the man had saved his life twice now and he seemed to be a good person, different from his family. The problem was he didn't want to be a burden to the man. He had saved him twice he didn't want to intrude on the man's life any more than he already had.

"You wouldn't be any trouble to me. I could use the company." Severus suddenly said as if he had read Harry's thoughts. Harry looked into Severus's eyes and didn't see a hint of deceit and decided to believe the man. He could try to be good company. He would do whatever the man told him and would be there when the man needed him. Surely he could do that.

"I would like to stay here." Harry finally croaked out and Severus nodded. Harry searched his eyes for any sign of disappointment that he had agreed to stay but saw none leading Harry to believe that Severus had made the offer because he wanted to not out of pity or obligation.

"Very good then. This room will be yours for the time being. It is the only free room in the house so it will have to do." Harry nodded in understanding. "For now rest and we will talk about things to be done when you are up to it."

Severus left the room, mentally making a list of things to be done now that Harry had agreed to stay with him. There was much to be done. He had to get him clothes that actually fit. He had to register the boy into school, preferably the one he worked at. It was going to be somewhat difficult since it started in a couple of weeks but being a professor would certainly help him. He had to figure out what to do about his Godson who would surely be staying with him. He had to make sure Harry was physically and mentally prepared to even go to school. Lots of things to be done.

Shaking his head, Severus began to make soup for Harry when he woke up. He was obviously underfed but he couldn't make anything heavy for him or it would only upset his stomach which wasn't used to having too much food at once.

The soup was just beginning to boil when the phone rang making Severus frown. He rarely received phone calls since he usually kept to himself and rarely had contact with other people. He answered the phone, ready to bark at the person on the other end if it turned out be a wrong number.

"Who is this?" Severus barked and he heard a womanly giggle.

"Severus, charming as always I see." Severus relaxed as he recognized the voice as Narcissa Malfoy, the mother of his godson, Draco Malfoy.

"Hello Narcissa, what can I do for you?"

"My husband and I will be leaving for business at the end of this week so I was hoping Draco could stay with you a week earlier than planned." Severus blanched at the request. It wasn't that he hated Draco, in fact he found the boy intellectually refreshing compared to the other teens his age. The problem was that he wasn't sure how he would get along with Harry or if Harry was going to be ready by then to have another teen in the house.

"I'm not sure if that will be a good idea. You see, I have found myself taking in another boy just recently. An adoption of sorts if you will. I am not sure if he will be ready to have another teen in the house." Severus explained and he heard Narcissa give an annoyed sound through the phone.

"I am sure it will be fine unless you think that Draco will be less than well behaved around the boy?" Severus stifled a sigh. To continue would make Narcissa think he was insulting Draco no matter what he said. Narcissa was a woman who didn't take no for an answer.

"No, not at all I'm sure it will be fine for him to come a week earlier." Severus finally conceded.

"Wonderful! I shall drop him off next Monday morning." Narcissa informed him cheerfully before hanging up. Severus shook his head and checked the calendar. He had 5 days to get Harry settled into his home and prepare his home for two boys living in it.

Shaking his head in exasperation, Severus made a note to get migraine medicine for the upcoming days. Something told him he would need it.

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Next chapter Draco comes into the story :3


	4. Draco

Thank you for the lovely reviews they keep me writing!

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The next 5 days proved to be rather challenging with barely any progress. Every day since Harry had woken up after the phone call he had been sleeping under the bed instead of actually in it and wouldn't say why when questioned. Instead of resting during the day Harry attempted to clean all the time. When he was questioned about his parents he either clammed up and refused to say anything against them or he would make excuses for them. He also had nightmares every night. Severus had found that out one night when passing Harry's room for a glass of water and had heard the boy whimpering.

However, Severus was able to learn more about Harry. He found that Harry had a fascination with herbs and what they did in cooking. The boy's eyes lit up in fascination when he had told Harry that he was a "potions teacher" for a school and offered to teach him how to make herbal remedies. Harry was also ecstatic to learn that he would be able to go to school apparently having been homeschooled before. They had also gone shopping and had gotten Harry clothes that fit so he wouldn't have to wear his godson's anymore.

As soon as Severus had found that out he had given Harry a test to determine what grade level he should be in as was mandatory by the school. He wasn't allowed to grade it so he had to send it back to the school and was currently awaiting the results. Although he had scanned the answers and most of them seemed correct.

The only problem that awaited them was he had yet to inform Harry about Draco. He hadn't wanted to break the big news to Harry so soon but now that Draco was coming the next day he didn't have any more time. He could only hope Harry took it well.

"Harry, I have to talk to you about something." Severus said as he entered the boy's room. He had made the guest room officially Harry's although it still lacked personal touch. He had asked Harry if he had wanted to go back to his former home to collect his things but Harry said there wasn't anything to get back.

"What is it?" Harry asked as he set down a book Severus had lent him about animals. Another thing Severus had found out about Harry was that the boy liked to read and learn. He sat down on the edge of the bed Harry was lying on.

"My godson will be staying here for the school year." Severus informed him bluntly and Harry's head tilted in thought.

"Will I have to go?" Harry asked softly and Severus shook his head.

"No, you will still remain here. Draco, that's his name, has his own room. He will be attending the same school as you if you are accepted." Harry nodded in understanding.

"When will he be coming?"

"He will be arriving early tomorrow morning. I am sure you two will get along well."

"What's he like?" Harry asked with caution and hesitation in his voice.

"He is a bit spoiled," At this Harry winced. "But he isn't a cruel person. He is ambitious though, sometimes he can get a tunnel vision. If he wants something he won't focus on anything but that thing. He can be a bit bossy but just let him know you don't like something and he will stop."

Harry nodded in understanding but there was still worry in the green eyes. Severus wanted to ease the worry away but knew it would only go away when Harry met Draco and found he wasn't a bad person. Although he had some concerns himself. The two were completely opposite. Harry was withdrawn and quiet while Draco was loud and outgoing. So their personalities would either meld together or clash horribly.

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Severus was in the middle of trying to explain that yes, while Harry wasn't a guest any longer, he was still not required to cook and clean everything when the expected knock on the door came. Harry immediately donned a blank expression, something he did when something happened that he didn't know how to deal with.

Severus ruffled his black hair before he answered the door. As expected it was Draco and his father Lucius Malfoy. In the two months since Severus had last seen him Draco hadn't changed a bit. He still had short nearly blonde white hair that was a little lighter than his fathers slicked back in his usual style, grey eyes that were an exact replica of his father's but softer with more compassion and pale skin that he got more from his mother than his father.

"Hello Snape." Draco greeted with a small smile. Severus greeted him back and he helped the teen bring some of his bags inside. When everything was in the house Draco turned to his father. "Goodbye Father I will see you at the end of the school year."

"Goodbye I expect your grades to be at the top." Lucius said and walked away. Severus shook his head as he closed the door. The relationship between Draco and his father was cold to say the least but he knew Lucius really did care for his son he just wasn't good at showing it often times leaving it to Narcissa.

"Draco there's something I must inform you that I haven't been able to as of yet. I have taken a boy nearly your age into my home and will be taking care of him from here on out. I need you to be nice to him he didn't come from a good home." Severus told the teen quietly not wanting Harry to overhear.

"Since when?" Draco asked curiously knowing his godfather wasn't the kind of person to just randomly take someone into his home.

"Almost a week ago now. He hasn't fully adjusted as of yet and I need your help on that." Draco nodded in understanding and fidgeted in curiosity and excitement. Maybe now he would have a playmate and wouldn't be so lonely. Severus was often busy with schoolwork and couldn't pay much attention to him so it could get a little lonely at times.

He followed his godfather into the kitchen where a boy stood looking out of place and a bit lost. He had messy brown hair that looked untameable, brilliant green eyes and pale skin. He looked skinny like he hadn't been eating enough although Draco knew his godfather must have been feeding him enough. He also looked young. Snape had said that Harry was nearly his age but he looked at least 5 years younger.

"Hello!" Draco greeted happily and cheerfully and the boy gave him a cautious look before returning the greeting a nervous soft voice. "My name is Draco and you must be Harry."

"Yes I am." Harry answered nervously, looking at Severus as if he needed guidance on how to behave. Draco on the other hand seemed ecstatic.

"Come help me unpack!" Draco ordered excitedly and he grabbed Harry's wrist and began to drag him out of the room. Severus shook his head at Draco's rambunctious behavior before he began to prepare lunch for the boys. He was beginning to give Harry heavier things to eat and his stomach seemed to be accepting it so hopefully the boy would start gaining more weight soon.

When lunch was done he carried it over to Draco's room and paused before he entered the room. The two boys were still unpacking Draco's stuff and Draco was talking Harry's ear off from the sounds of it.

"So you will be going to school with me right?" Draco asked but he made it sound more like an order than a question.

"If I get accepted." Harry answered softly and Severus was pleased to note much of the nervousness was gone from his voice.

"I'm sure you will. Dumbledore is too nice to not accept anybody. When we go to school together we can have class and lunch together. You can meet my friends and everything!" Draco said excitedly.

"You don't mind them meeting me?" Harry asked hesitantly.

"Of course not why would I? You know Harry, you're a bit strange."

"Sorry."

"At any rate if anybody gives you problems at Hogwarts just let me know and I will protect you. You're my friend and nobody picks on my friends." Draco said protectively and Severus smiled. He was worried that Draco wouldn't like Harry but it would seem that it wouldn't be a problem at all.

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Harry laid on his bed wide awake. Both him and Draco had been sent to bed for the night although Harry didn't feel tired yet. He was used to doing so much in the day that now that he had nothing to do falling asleep was harder. So he stared up at the ceiling and thought about his day and about Draco.

He had been terrified that Draco would be like Dudley, Vernon's son who was just like his father. That he would be bullied and beaten once again. Even after meeting Draco he was still unsure. The boy oozed power and confidence something that Dudley also emitted but when Harry looked into Draco's grey eyes he saw no contempt or disgust in them only curiosity and excitement. When Draco had dragged him off into his room Harry had been frightened but Draco didn't do anything to harm him. Even the hand he used to drag him to his room was light and didn't hurt his wrist.

Draco turned out to be not so bad although Harry was careful not to lower his guards yet. Hopefully though, Draco could be his first friend that he ever had. Having been homeschooled by his aunt Petunia who wanted him to have some intelligence for when guests came over and he couldn't be hidden, he didn't have any opportunities to have his own friends.

He wouldn't mind having Draco as a friend. He didn't seem to mind that Harry was different from other people in fact he seemed happy that Harry was quiet because it gave him an opportunity to talk more about himself.

Harry fought the smile from coming onto his face before sighing and turning over to his side. He hated sleeping on his bed. The room seemed so big at night nothing compared to the cupboard he used to sleep in. Compared to the cupboard the room seemed too big and wide it made Harry feel uncomfortable. Shaking his head he grabbed his pillow and blanket and crawled under the bed.

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So much fluff next chapter which I'm almost done with already :P Again for the nice reviews I try to respond to them all before I update ^-^


	5. Snow

Thank you for all your lovely reviews!

I've had people ask and yes this is AU but I will still be adding stuff from the Harry Potter magical world. I'm trying to blend the two worlds together the best I can I guess you can say.

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Draco stared at the empty room with a frown. He knew that this room was now Harry's but the boy was nowhere to be seen. He had already checked the rest out of the house so Harry had to be here.

Shaking his head, Draco hesitantly entered the room and noticed that the blanket and pillow was missing from the bed. Looking more closely at the bed he noticed the corner of the missing blanket sticking out from under the bed. Dropping down to his knees, Draco peered under the bed and his suspicions were confirmed. There, curled under the bed in a tight ball was Harry.

"You are so weird." Draco murmured with no malice in his voice. It was the truth although Draco found it more endearing than annoying.

Suddenly his stomach grumbled loudly and Draco was reminded why he was looking for the boy in the first place. Severus wouldn't let him eat breakfast until everyone was present.

"Oi Harry wake up!" Draco said loudly and Harry's eyes snapped open with traces of fear in them.

"I slept in!" Harry squeaked and the way he said it someone would have thought he robbed a bank or something.

"It's not that big a deal I'm just hungry." Draco said as he helped Harry crawl out from under the bed. "Honestly Harry, why were you under the bed in the first place?

"Room is too big." Harry whispered and Draco's eyebrows shot up as he glanced around the room again. Harry considered this room big? The room was the size of a bathroom at Malfoy manor where he stayed at with his parents during school breaks and holidays. In fact he would still be at there for the rest of winter break except his parents had gone on a business trip to New York.

"You're a strange one Harry." Draco muttered under his breath as they made their way into the kitchen.

"Sorry that I slept in Sir." Harry said with a bowed head and Severus raised an eyebrow while Draco rolled his eyes and sat at the table where the food waited.

"It's quite alright. Now sit down and we can have breakfast." Severus said blandly and Harry immediately obeyed.

"So what's the plan for the day?" Draco asked as he watched Harry scarf down his food and Severus pondered thoughtfully as he started on his own breakfast. Aside from going shopping Harry hadn't left the house since he had moved in. Severus still had planning to do for the rest of the school year and hadn't liked the idea of Harry going out alone, not that the boy had ever expressed wanting to do so, but now that Draco was here he wouldn't be completely alone.

"Why don't you go out with Harry while I do some work?" Severus suggested and Draco perked up at the suggestion while Harry began to nibble his bottom lip nervously. "Are you okay with that Harry?"

"Yes." Harry replied quickly when he saw Draco's excited look. Draco finished his breakfast quickly although Harry still ate faster than him.

"Hurry and get ready." Draco ordered and Harry nodded before he went to his room. He quickly changed into his new clothes he had gotten the other day and took a moment to appreciate actually owning clothes that fit him and weren't too large. He took his new winter jacket and left his room.

He waited around in the living room for Draco who took nearly 15 minutes to finish getting ready. With a quick goodbye to Severus the boys left the house.

"So where did you go to school before?" Draco asked curiously.

"I was homeschooled." Harry replied and Draco wrinkled his nose.

"My parents tried to do the same. Hired all these tutors for different lesson but it was simply dreadful. I put my foot down and demanded to be put into a private school instead." Harry idly wondered if he should tell Draco that it had been his aunt who had homeschooled him but thought against it.

"What's the school like?"

"Hogwarts is a good school although they will let just about anybody in although I suppose that works in your favor. I'm in Slytherin so you better get sorted into that house as well so I can watch over you."

"Slytherin?"

"Honestly Harry, has Snape told you nothing about Hogwarts?" Draco asked with a shake of his head. "Hogwarts is divided into four houses, Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. It's to create competition and motivation to do well because at the end of the year whichever house has the most points collected from doing well in class gets the Hogwarts cup."

"What if I'm not in the same house as you?" Harry asked nervously and Draco scoffed.

"Well I suppose it wouldn't be too bad just as long as you're not sorted to the damn Gryffindors. I can't stand them!" Draco scowled like the mere thought of them disgusted him like a horrible smell. Harry sincerely hoped he wasn't put into Gryffindor he would hate to disappoint Draco.

"It's snowing." Draco announced and Harry looked up and his eyes widened. It looked so beautiful and peaceful. He had never actually seen snow fall before. He was so enraptured with watching the snow fall that he nearly walked into a tree. Draco stifled a snort before he grabbed Harry's cold hand.

"If you're going to stare up at the sky like an idiot then I'll guide you so you don't walk into anything." Draco replied to Harry's curious look. He was rewarded with the first smile he had seen on the boy's face. It gave him a peculiar warm feeling in his chest.

"Thank you." Harry said softly before he resumed watching the snowflakes fall around them.

"Sure, whatever." Draco muttered as he pulled Harry along. He truthfully didn't have a destination in mind. He was going to bring Harry to the busy part of the city where all the shops were but he changed his mind and no longer wanted to deal with the busy crowds.

Instead he headed to a small park that he knew and often went to when he wanted to be alone. Not a lot of people went there since it was so small and there was a bigger one nearby. There was only a couple of swings, a slide and a monkey bar set in the middle of a small field with a couple of trees that were perfect for climbing in.

When they reached the swings he let go of Harry's hand making the boy look around curiously wondering what made Draco let go of his now warm hand. Draco dusted the snow off the seat before he sat down on it. Harry studied the swing set before he mimicked Draco's actions.

"Where did you live before Snape took you in?" Draco asked suddenly and watched as Harry seemed to shrink.

"With my aunt and uncle and their son." Harry replied softly hoping there wouldn't be any more questions.

"What happened to your parents?"

"They died in a car crash." Harry replied sadly and distantly recalling his aunt's words. "I don't remember them since I was only about three years old when they died."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Draco said automatically. "Snape said that you weren't treated well where you came from. What did they do to you?"

Harry flinched and his lips tightened until they were white. He didn't want to talk about it. He was still terrified that if he told on them he would get into trouble. He didn't want to lose Draco if he didn't tell him the truth but he couldn't tell him or Severus what had happened. Draco still watched him waiting for an answer.

"Please don't ask me I don't wish to tell anybody about it." Harry finally answered and braced himself for the upcoming anger that was sure to come. Instead, Draco nodded in thought.

"I suppose it doesn't matter much. This is your new life now and you won't be treated like that ever again." Draco said with a decisive nod and Harry gave him a startled look before he broke into a wide smile. A life without them, what could be better?

He still didn't truly believe that he wouldn't be forced to go back to them and perhaps a part of him would always be scared that he would be but Draco's words gave him hope that maybe, just maybe, he was truly free of them. The thought warmed him.

They stayed at the park not really paying attention to the time and it surprised them both when the sun began to set. While they walked home they held hands even though they were both aware that Harry wasn't looking up at the sky this time to watch the snow fall. Instead he kept sneaking glances at Draco who hopefully hadn't noticed.

He was still in a bit of awe that Draco had decided to be friendly to someone like him even though it was obvious that he wasn't as good as Draco. Harry knew he was weird and that he was different from other people but Draco didn't seem to care in the least and still chose to be friends with Harry.

When they got home Severus already had dinner ready and they hungrily at it. They hadn't had lunch that day and they were starving. Severus noticed a light in Harry's eyes that hadn't been there before and he inwardly smiled glad that Draco had helped in bringing Harry out of his shell.

"I got a phone call today from Hogwarts." Severus announced when everyone was done eating and Draco looked up curiously while Harry looked up anxiously knowing it was probably about his test results. "Harry you have been accepted."

"See I told you you would!" Draco cheered as he patted a shocked Harry on the back. "Will he be joining after winter break or will he have to wait until the next school year?"

"Well, ordinarily it's unheard of that a student starts in the middle of the year but Dumbledore, that's the name of your principle Harry, decided that it would be alright for him to join after winter break after I assured him that both Draco and I would help you catch up and your test results were high enough to ensure that it wouldn't be too hard for you."

Shock slowly ebbed away from Harry to be replaced by joy that was an almost foreign feeling for him. Everything felt like a dream and he subtly pinched himself but everything remained as it was. He nearly started crying but was able to hold them back. Nothing this good has ever happened to him before and Harry hoped it would last for a long time.

"Tomorrow we will have to go to Hogwarts to officially register you. I explained your situation to Dumbledore already and he is alright with everything." Harry nodded in understanding and shared a beaming smile with Draco. "Now if you're both done go to bed tomorrow will be long."

"Thank you for dinner." Harry said and Draco echoed before they both ran upstairs to their rooms. Harry quickly entered his room and got ready for bed. The quicker he fell asleep the quicker tomorrow would come and he would register to become a student at the same school that Severus taught and Draco went to.

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Lots of fluff :D Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it :3

Guest: Thank you for your review I'm glad you like the plot and the reason Draco didn't come in until last chapter was just so I can kind of build Harry and Snape's personalities a bit :3


	6. The Sorting

Thank you everyone for the lovely reviews!

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Draco hummed as he entered the dark room and looked at the bed. It was early morning, early enough that the sun hadn't risen yet. He had woken up thirsty and had gotten a glass of water in the kitchen. On his way back to his room he had passed Harry's and remembered how he had been sleeping under his bed and had been curious if the dark haired boy was doing the same thing again.

The bed was empty like Draco had expected it to be. Normally Draco would have just let eccentricities be but it was colder than usual and he didn't want Harry to get sick. Sighing, Draco crouched down and peered under the bed where Harry was curled up into a tight ball but something was wrong.

Harry's eyes were clamped shut although that didn't stop tears from dripping out of them and soft whimpers poured out of his mouth and Draco shook his head. Even in his sleep, Harry was still scared of being too loud.

Being too big to crawl under the bed to get to Harry, Draco grabbed the blanket that Harry had attached himself to and pulled on it hard until both the blanket and Harry slid out.

"Come on now, it's ok." Draco murmured as he picked up Harry and dropped him on the bed, partly hoping it would wake him up from his nightmare. Oddly enough Harry remained asleep and Draco sighed wondering what to do. When he had nightmares when he was young he would crawl into bed with his parents so maybe that's what he should do?

Sighing, Draco crawled into the bed with Harry and curled around the smaller boy. Harry immediately latched himself onto Draco who covered both of them with the blanket. He absentmindedly rubbed the boys back and eventually Harry calmed down and stopped whimpering.

"You have nothing to be scared of anymore so stop crying." Draco quietly commanded. "I'm a Malfoy therefore I can and will protect you from everything."

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"Hurry up slowpoke." Draco huffed and he practically dragged Harry through the snow. It had snowed again so the snow was even higher and while Draco could still walk through it Harry had much more difficulty.

"Sorry." Harry replied as he tried to force his legs through the snow even faster. Severus shook his head before he picked the boy up. Harry yelped and automatically wrapped his arms around Severus's neck.

"This wouldn't be a problem if people would shovel their own sidewalk." Severus muttered to himself.

"Ah, you don't have to carry me." Harry said as he wiggled, obviously uncomfortable.

"Stop squirming! We will be able to go much faster if I just carried you." Severus snapped but without much bite in his tone. Harry immediately stilled, not wanting to cause more trouble to the pair. They were after all out in the snow because of him.

"How far is Hogwarts?" Harry asked.

"Not too far maybe like 5 more blocks. I can't believe you've never seen it before it's huge!" Draco answered before Severus could. Harry hummed in thought. He had seen pictures of Dudley's private school before and it reminded him of jail and he idly wondered if Hogwarts would look the same as well.

When they finally reached Hogwarts, Harry couldn't do anything but gap at the building. It was shaped like a huge castle with lots of towers. It was so huge it took 2 blocks! Despite being intimated by its sheer size, Harry felt warmth from the building and intuitively knew it was a safe place.

"So big." Harry said and Draco chuckled and beamed as if Harry had complimented him.

"It's the best school in the country of course it's big." Draco said and Severus chuckled as he set Harry down. Unlike some neighborhoods, Hogwarts always had the pathways shoveled and cleared of snow so Harry wouldn't have any more difficulties walking.

As soon as they entered the school Harry was overwhelmed by the inside as well. If anything the school looked even larger than the outside and he could scarcely believe that in a week he would actually be going to this school every day.

As he gawked at the huge hallways Draco held his hand to ensure that he wouldn't wonder off and get lost in one of the numerous corridors. There was a rumor that once someone had gotten lost in one of the hallways and wasn't found for a month. He of course didn't believe something so foolish but he wasn't taking that chance with Harry either.

"Here we are." Severus announced and Harry looked to see that they were in front of a huge office that had gargoyles by the doorway. From the corner of his eye they looked like they were moving but when he looked straight at them they were still.

When they entered the room Harry was amazed at all the pictures that hung on the wall of passed headmasters. There were so many that Harry deduced that the school must have been centuries old. Harry heard a chuckle and peeled his eyes from the hundreds of pictures to an old desk where an old man was looking at him with amusement in twinkling blue eyes. Harry studied him and he couldn't help but think that he looked like a wizard that he had seen in books that he had stolen from Dudley. He had a long white beard and pointy grey hat and everything.

"Hello my boy, you must be Harry. My name is Dumbledore." The old wizened man greeted and Harry didn't feel any of his normal nervousness around him like he normally did around strangers.

"Nice to meet you." Harry said politely and he shook Dumbledore's hand.

"Now Harry I've heard from Severus about your unique situation and normally I wouldn't allow a student to attend the school so late into the year but looking over your test scores I believe that you already at the speed everyone else is. In fact if it wasn't in the middle of the year I would recommend you skipping a grade. Whoever homeschooled you did an excellent job."

"Thank you sir." Harry said thankful that his Aunt had taught him well despite the reason for doing it was so he wouldn't appear stupid to any guest they would have.

"Now just fill out this form to the best of your abilities." Dumbledore said as he handed Harry a registration sheet. Harry nodded obediently and began filling it out with Draco curiously watching over his shoulder. The blonde knew full well that it was rude but he couldn't pass up the opportunity to learn more about Harry. He even helped out a bit like the Severus's exact address and phone number that Harry hadn't had the chance to memorize yet. Soon Harry was done and he handed the sheet back to Dumbledore who read through it.

"You're last name is Potter?" Dumbledore asked and Harry noticed Severus flinch.

"Yes sir." Harry answered slowly hoping it wasn't a problem. "Is that bad?"

"No, not at all." Dumbledore said quickly before he continued reading the sheet. Harry could tell he was hiding something but he didn't dare try to worm any information from the man. He curiously looked at Severus whose face was curiously blank. "Well everything seems to be in order. I already have your timetable prepared based on your test scores."

Dumbledore handed Harry a piece of paper that had the classes he would attend and at what time. He had potions and history in the morning then herbology, divination and care of creatures in the afternoon. Harry was excited because that meant he had one class that Severus taught.

"Why is your class called potions?" Harry asked. What Severus made and taught weren't really potions more like remedies and homemade medicine. Dumbledore chuckled.

"It's a joke within the staff." Severus replied dryly obviously not amused by the name. Harry stifled a giggle.

"Oh, since you're here Draco I also have your timetable." Dumbledore said as he handed Draco a piece of paper that was like Harry's. Draco immediately grabbed Harry's to compare classes. Peering over his shoulder anxiously Harry saw that they had potions, history and care of creatures together. Harry was glad that he wasn't alone in all of his classes.

"Will that be all?" Severus asked and Dumbledore shook his head.

"We should do the sorting now. Normally we would do the sorting of houses at the beginning of the year in the morning but since you're a special case we will do it now." Dumbledore explained as he picked up an old tattered and frayed hat. "This is believed to be a magical hat. You put this on your head and it will say what house you will be in."

"How does it work?" Harry asked as he looked closer at the hat.

"Nobody knows. Some myths say it's a relic from when wizards used to exist." Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye. He placed the hat on Harry's head and the hat was so big that it fell over his face. Harry heard a humming sound but couldn't tell if it was coming from the hat or from someone in the room.

'Please be Slytherin.' Harry thought anxiously.

The had stayed silent on his head and Harry was beginning to wonder if it meant that he wasn't meant for any of the houses which would mean he wasn't meant for Hogwarts. The humming grew louder and Harry fidgeted nervously.

"Gryffindor!" The hat suddenly cried out and at first Harry was elated that the hat had chosen a house for him but a second later he gasped when he registered just which house he had been put in. He desperately looked at Draco who was glaring at him angrily with traces of betrayal in the cold steel eyes. Harry bit his lip wondering if this was the end of his short loved friendship with the blonde.

"Very good." Dumbledore said cheerfully as he put away the hat. "Everything is done and sorted now so you can go. I will see you next week."

"Thank you sir." Harry said quietly as he avoided meeting Draco's glare.

The trio left the room in uncomfortable silence. Harry snuck a glance at Severus and bit his lip and stared at the ground in shame when he saw a frown in the man's face. Both of them were upset that he was in Gryffindor.

"We minds as well buy all your school stuff now since we're already out and about." Severus informed them and Harry nodded but didn't lift his head from the elaborately tiled floor.

Severus saw Harry withdrawing into himself and his frown grew. He had seen how Draco had glared at Harry when the hat had announced that he was in Gryffindor and he was not happy with the teen. He would have to have a talk with Draco later. When they left the school he picked up Harry who squeaked and looked up at him in surprise.

"Sir, you really don't have to carry me I can walk." Harry said and Severus ruffled his hair with his free hand.

"I don't mind." Severus said simply and Harry frowned in confusion.

"Aren't you mad at me for being in Gryffindor?" Harry asked as he quickly glanced at the still glaring Draco.

"No, Harry, I'm not. You can't help what house you're sorted into and even though you're a Gryffindor, at the end of the day you're still Harry. Just because you're in a house now it doesn't change who you actually are." Severus looked at Draco and was pleased to see the glare gone and replaced by a thoughtful look. Draco wasn't stupid but sometimes he needed a push in the right direction.

"Thank you sir." Harry said softly feeling tears in his eyes. He was so happy that Severus didn't hate him even if Draco did.

"I guess it's not that big a deal." Draco huffed out and Harry looked at him in surprise. "But you better not turn into one of those annoying lions!"

"I won't!" Harry said determinedly and Draco gave him a smirk.

He still wasn't happy that Harry was a Gryffindor but Severus was right he was still Harry and Draco didn't want to stop being his friend. He was different from everyone else Draco knew. In his world, they were only happy with expensive things but Harry was as happy by something as simple as snow falling. It was this difference that had him completely fascinated by the boy.

When they reached the bustling street of Diagon Alley, Severus set Harry down since the streets were cleared of snow. Draco immediately grabbed Harry's hand not wanting to let the boy get lost in the numerous crowds.

"We'll get your robes before your books and other supplies." Severus decided and the boys nodded in agreement as they followed him into a store called Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions.

"Welcome!" A short squat woman greeted happily. "What can I do for you?"

"They are here for their school robes." Severus informed her and the woman nodded before ushering them onto different platforms in front of a mirror. She began to measure them, scolding lightly when Harry squirmed.

Nodding to herself, Madam Malkins went to the back of the shop. A few minutes later she came back with black robes in her arms. She made both Harry and Draco put them on before she began to adjust them to their height. Finally after almost an hour the robes were done and adjusted exactly to their height.

"Good my old robes were beginning to look drab." Draco said approvingly. Harry carried his own robe as if it was a precious treasure and in a way it was to him. It signified him as a student to Hogwarts. He overheard Madam Malkins inform Severus of the price and froze.

He didn't have any money. He didn't have anything of worth to compensate for that price either. He saw Severus pull out money and guilt grew inside him. He pulled at Severus's sleeve anxiously making the man pause.

"A moment please." Severus said before he pulled Harry to a corner. "What's wrong? Is there something wrong with the robes?"

"No, sir, but I can't let you pay for them it's too much." Harry said and Severus's face softened with understanding.

"I will pay for these robes and your other school supplies but it won't be free. In return I want you to do something for me."

"What? I'll do anything." Harry said frantically.

"I want you to do well in school. To get high marks, make new friends and be a normal student. Don't let the things I will get you go to waste and that will be payment enough."

"I won't let you down!" Harry said excitedly glad he could do something to make up for the money Severus would have to spend on him.

"Good." Severus ruffled Harry's hair before making his way to Madam Malkins to pay her for the robes.

"What was that about?" Draco asked curiously.

"Nothing, just making a deal with him." Harry replied mysteriously and Draco raised an eyebrow but didn't inquire anymore.

The next place they went to was Flourish & Blotts where they got all of their textbooks for the school year. Harry was ecstatic that he was getting new books to read. The books he read before were books that Dudley got for the holidays they he never read. Harry would sneak into his room and steal them since he knew his cousin would never notice them missing. But these were actually his and not stolen which made it all the better.

Draco on the other hand seemed dismayed at all the books they were going to have to use in the year and was currently grumbling about the workload that they were going to have.

"Going to be a lot of essays this year I just know it." Draco muttered under his breath as they left the shop.

They began to make their way home since it was getting late when Harry saw something move from the corner of his eye. He looked at the gap between two shops and saw something white move. He walked to it without even thinking, ignoring Draco when he asked where he was going.

When Harry reached the white thing it turned out to be a snowy owl. Harry had read about them before. It looked hurt; one of its wings was bent at an odd angle. When Harry tried to touch the owl but it turned its head and tried to bite him.

"Hey it's ok. It's going to be ok. I just want to help." Harry murmured softly and soothingly. He reached out to the bird again and this time the owl didn't attack him. He carefully cradled the bird in his arms before he ran back to Severus and Draco being mindful not to jostle the bird.

"A snowy owl in these parts? Must have been a pet." Severus said as he looked the owl over. "Eeylops Owl Emporium should be able to help us they specialize in owls as pets."

They hurried over to the store where an old wizened man was petting a large tawny owl. When he saw the snowy owl in Harry's arms he immediately leapt into action. He took the owl from Harry's arms and began tending to the wing.

"It's broken but with lots of rest it should heal." The man informed them after he set the owl's bones right. He taped the broken wing to the owl's body so the owl was unable to move it. "How did it get broken in the first place?"

"It was already broken when I found it sir." Harry said softly as he looked at the bird worriedly.

"Well it's a good thing you brought her here when you did. She wouldn't have lasted very long with all the cats wondering about. Now, will you be leaving her here or would you like to bring her to your home as a pet?"

Severus was about to answer that they would obviously be leaving the bird at the shop and that an owl was hardly a suitable pet to have but he caught sight of Harry's eyes that were entranced by the owl. Pets were supposed to helpful in helping kids, especially abused one, open up more. And a bird was a considerably better pet than a dog or cat. Dogs you had to walk every day and cats you had to pick up their litter. With birds you could let them fly free and they were relatively problem free if trained and taken care of.

"We will take her home with us." Severus finally said and Harry spun around and gave him such a big smile that he startled Severus. Any misgivings he had about keeping the owl vanished.

"Very good then. Do you have the supplies you need or would you like to buy them now?" The man asked with a smile. He had a good feeling about the man and his two kids and he knew the owl would be well taken care of.

"I will be buying all the supplies she will need right now." Severus replied. The man nodded as he began gathering supplies which included medication to help her wing repair smoothly, a sturdy wooden perch and enough food to last a month. He showed Harry how to properly carry her so she wouldn't injure her wing anymore before they left the shop with Severus carrying the majority of the items they just bought and Draco graciously carrying their textbooks so Harry could carry the owl.

"What are you going to name her?" Draco asked excitedly. Harry paused in thought before he remembered reading the name Hedwig in one of his textbooks.

"Hedwig." Harry replied softly and the owl hooted softly as if in agreement to the name. Harry smiled to himself hardly believing how well the day had gone. He had been officially registered as a student and even though he wasn't sorted into the house he had wanted to be in Draco was still his friend, he had robes and new books and now he had a new feathery friend.

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This was such a hard chapter to write for some reason and I'm not entirely happy about how it turned out. Tell me what you guys think :o

Anonymous Reviews

tella: thanks for reviewing and I debated putting him into Slytherin but I think the story line would be better with him being in Gryffindor


	7. Day Out

Thank you for the lovely reviews!

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Harry woke up and blinked when he found himself being pressed against something large and warm. It took him a second or two to realize that it was Draco who had taken it upon himself to share the bed with Harry every night now. It kept Harry from sleeping under the bed and Harry didn't have nightmares every night anymore when Draco was there.

Smiling softly Harry carefully got out of bed without waking Draco and crept into the kitchen where Severus was making breakfast. Harry offered his help but Severus wouldn't let him help still which made Harry sigh in exasperation. He was still unused to doing nothing at all. He was lucky that Severus even let him clean his own room.

"You should start packing today." Severus said and Harry froze and paled. Was Severus kicking him out? Was he going to return to the Dursleys? What did he do wrong? Severus must have noticed that Harry was panicking because seconds later he was crouching in front of the boy.

"I'm sorry whatever I did I'm sorry please don't make me go back to them." Harry pleaded desperately as he clutched Severus' robes. "I'll do anything just don't send me back!"

"Harry I don't know what you mean I'm not sending you anywhere!" Severus said in exasperation and worry.

"But you said to pack!" Severus mentally face palmed when he realized that he never explained to Harry how Hogwarts worked.

"Harry, calm down. I'm not sending you anywhere. I didn't mean for you to pack to leave us." Severus said reassuringly and up on hearing the words Harry began to calm down slightly although he kept his guard up.

"Then what did you mean?" He asked hesitantly.

"Hogwarts is different from other schools as it's more of a boarding school where you stay there overnight until the end of the year unless it's the holidays or weekend." Severus explained and Harry searched his eyes for any hint of lying.

"What's going on?" Draco asked sleepily as he entered the kitchen.

"Nothing, I just telling Harry about how we sleep over at Hogwarts during the week." Severus replied as he ruffled Harry's hair.

"Yeah I didn't know about that." Harry said softly as he gave them a weak smile.

"It's okay Harry I forget to tell you things because they are second nature and I forget what second nature to me is isn't so for other people." Severus said as he stood up and began to start placing food on the table.

"Yeah like when you forgot to tell him about the 4 houses." Draco said dryly and Severus gave him a slight glare with not real venom.

"Both of you go pack for Hogwarts after breakfast." Severus ordered.

"Why so soon? We don't leave until the day after tomorrow." Draco asked curiously.

"Because the sooner the better and it cuts down the chances of you forgetting to pack something." Severus replied. "We go through this every time we leave for Hogwarts."

"Fine." Draco said sulkily and Severus shook his head.

"Can Hedwig come?" Harry asked anxiously.

"Yes pets are allowed at Hogwarts on the grounds that they are tame and won't cause problems." Harry smiled and began eating his breakfast quickly. As soon as both boys were done eating breakfast they retreated to their rooms to pack.

Harry marveled at all the things he had to pack and compared it to when he first came to live with Severus. Before he had nothing but the clothes on his back but now he had clothes, books and even a pet to pack and it reminded him how much he had now gained.

"We have a good life here, girl." Harry murmured to Hedwig who hooted softly. Harry had taken to talking to Hedwig as if she was a real person except he was more comfortable talking to her than a real person. It felt reassuring being able to say anything he wanted to her and knowing that she couldn't judge him.

When he was done packing he wandered into Draco's room to see if the blonde needed help packing. The blonde was currently choosing which of his outfits he would be packing even though Harry had learned that the majority of the time they would be wearing the school uniform.

"Need any help?" Harry asked quietly and Draco shook his head.

"I'm pretty much done." Draco replied as he flopped on his bed. Harry tentively sat on the bed beside him and looked at the blonde curiously, sensing that something was wrong.

"Is there something wrong?" Harry hesitantly asked and Draco gave him a curious look before sighing.

"Never look forward to school." Draco muttered. "I have to get the top grades or my parents get disappointed. It's a lot of stress."

"Is it hard? You seem so smart so I can't see you having much trouble getting high marks." Harry said slowly and Draco seemed to beam with the compliment.

"Of course it isn't! I can handle it just can get stressful." Draco explained and Harry nodded in understanding.

"Well if you ever get too stressed I'll be there for you if that helps you any." Harry said shyly and Draco gave him a large smile.

"Let's go do something." Draco said as he leapt to his feet and dragged Harry out of his room and to the front door of the house. "We're going out we'll be back by dinner!" Draco yelled and waited for Severus to give his approval before he dragged Harry out of the house.

"Where are we going?" Harry asked nervously and Draco gave him a mischievous smile.

"You'll see when we get there!" Draco announced excitedly. Harry tried to keep up with the blonde the best he could but it wasn't until he nearly slipped on ice did Draco finally slow down some. When they reached a rather large building that Harry could almost always see wherever he was in the city Draco pulled him to the side of it.

Draco tugged him to an old ladder that seemed sturdy despite the speckles of rust embedded into the metal. Harry watched Draco begin to climb it without fear as if the blonde had done it multiple times before which he probably had.

"Come on Harry." Draco said and with a deep breath Harry followed him up the ladder. The metal was cold and in some spots there was ice so he had to be careful. When they reached the roof of the building Draco led Harry to the ledge of the building and Harry stared in awe at the sight that greeted him. He could see the entire city from the rooftop.

"This is amazing." Harry said as he sat at the very edge and Draco hovered near him in case the boy started to fall.

"Yeah this is where I go to whenever I get too stressed. I've never told anybody about this place before so you better not either or else!" Draco threatened.

"I promise I will never tell anybody about this place." Harry said with a very serious face and Draco smiled. "Why did you show me this place though?"

Draco sighed as he sat on the ledge with his legs dangling off the edge. He ran a hand through his hair nervously before he shrugged.

"I don't know." Draco answered truthfully. "I just had a feeling you would appreciate this place as much as I do and I knew you would keep it a secret."

"Thank you." Harry whispered thankfully with a soft smile. Draco saw the smile and looked away quickly, trying to figure out why it sparked a sudden warmth in his chest.

"Don't think too much into it." Draco said suddenly as he stood up. "Come on we should go eat lunch."

Harry nodded and followed Draco back down the ladder. He almost slipped halfway through going down but Draco caught him before he fell. Snickering and teasing Harry about how he was a klutz, Draco led him to Diagon Alley where he knew a nice place to eat.

They approached a building called The Leaky Cauldron and Harry curiously followed Draco inside. It was dimly lit and the table looked like they needed a good wash. Draco ordered food for the both of them since Harry didn't know anything on the menu before he led Harry to a table in the corner.

"This place isn't exactly high class but they serve the best fries and burgers in the city." Draco told Harry. "My parents would kill me if they knew I ate here it's not high class enough for them and they only want me eating healthy food." Draco snickered and he looked like a kid sneaking cookies out of the cookie jar before dinner.

"Maybe it's the way they show they care." Harry said and Draco hummed in agreement.

"I suppose so but still it's nice to just hang out and eat junk food you know?" Harry nodded in agreement. His mouth water when two plates full of fries and a burger were placed in front of them. He hadn't realized how hungry he was until he saw and smelt the food. He waited until Draco began eating until he started to eat himself.

"Don't worry about paying either take this as payment for keeping my place a secret." Draco said and Harry looked at him in surprise.

"Are you sure? I can try to pay you back in the future when I can." Draco snorted and waved away the suggestion.

"Harry, I'm filthy rich. Trust me, you don't need to pay me back. Just keep my secret and we're even." Harry nodded in hesitant agreement before he went back to eating his food.

"Say Harry when is your birthday?" Draco asked suddenly and Harry tilted his head in deep thought. He didn't celebrate his birthday since the Dursleys treated it just like another normal day.

"July 31st." Harry answered when he finally remembered. "Why?"

"Just wanted to learn more about you. It's been nearly a week since I've known you but I don't know much about you."

"There's not much to know." Harry answered as he finished his meal.

"I don't think that's true Harry and I will learn everything about you soon enough." Draco said with a smirk before he went to the counter to pay for their meal. He was absolutely fascinated by Harry who was different in so many ways than anybody Draco knew and he was determined to figure Harry out. He wanted to know everything about Harry and he wouldn't stop until he did.

"Where are we headed now?" Harry asked as they left The Leaky Cauldron. Draco hummed in thought as they walked down the street. He was about to suggest going home when a pair of ice skates on display in a shop caught his eye.

"Let's go ice skating!" He said excitedly. He hadn't been ice skating since he was a little kid and he knew the perfect place to do it.

"I don't know how to skate and I don't have ice skates!" Harry protested but allowed himself to be pulled down the street by Draco.

"Don't worry so much! I'll teach you and they rent out ice skates where we're going!" Draco said with a laugh. He led Harry to a large park that had a huge lake which was frozen over. Already there were people ice-skating all over it.

With a huge grin he pulled Harry to a little hut that was renting out the ice skates. After some measuring, they found Harry's shoe size. Harry looked at the ice skates cautiously, especially at the sharp blade that each had. He slowly put them on, mimicking Draco to make sure he did it right. When they were on tight, Harry carefully made his way to the lake with Draco. He had difficulty walking so it was more of a waddle than walking but soon enough he made it to the edge.

"Carefully walk on the ice." Draco instructed while holding Harry's hands for support. Harry carefully did as Draco ordered and surprisingly was able to place both feet on the ice without slipping. "Good hard part is over! Now put your left foot forward then the right one forward. It's kinda like walking only you don't lift your feet you slide!"

"Okay." Harry said shakily as he tried his best to listen to Draco. After a bit of slipping, Harry managed to move jerkily along the ice with Draco holding his hand to guide him. Soon, Harry got bolder with his skating and started going faster. He laughed a bit and shared a smile with Draco who looked positively delighted. "This is fun!"

"Of course it is I suggested it after all!" Draco cockily replied and Harry let out another peal of laughter. They skated the afternoon away, Draco's hand never letting go of Harry's even when it became obvious that Harry could skate by himself but both of them didn't notice they were too caught up in the fun they were having.

When the sun started setting and people started to leave, the two boys reluctantly left the park after returning the ice skates.

"Thanks for taking me to all these new places today. I've never had so much fun before." Harry said quietly as he watched the horizon where the sun was setting with a small content smile on his face.

"Wasn't a big deal." Draco muttered but was secretly pleased that he was able to make the boy so happy.

"It was to me." Harry said with a chuckle. He had never gone to so many places before. The only times he had left the Dursley's house was when Petunia needed someone to help her carry groceries and Vernon was out with the car. He never knew that there was so many fun places to go to before. He was so lucky to have met Draco and Severus and he hoped that nothing would take him away from them.

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Wanted to build up their relationship just a bit more and was in the mood to write some fluff XD Next chapter will be them going to Hogwarts!


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